Spanish Medieval Towns: Peratallada

I’m going to do a few posts based on some of the things I did and saw on my recent holiday. I don’t know about you, but I get bored flicking through other people’s holiday snaps, so I’m going to try and make it more interesting.

There are some lovely medieval villages and towns in Spain. Peratallada is a huge castle with a moat around it. Narrow cobbled streets wind around the castle, and the yellow stone walls glow in the sunshine. Vines and climbing plants overhang the walls and arches. Tiny geckos flit in and out and warm themselves in the sun on the walls. The place has a real historic feel to it.

Apparently the town was carved with stone taken from the moat. And the name Peratallada means “carved stone”.

Tourist shops fill the narrow streets. Ceramics are everywhere, as are ornaments in the shape of geckos, owls, and many other animals. And there are restaurants where one should make the most of the local tapas!

Peratallada is unusual because the church is outside the main town. The internet tells me that there is a rumour that the priest and the lord of the castle had a big argument! The graveyard is very interesting, because it’s completely different to a British one. This Spanish graveyard was like an outdoor mortuary. Bodies were placed in chambers in the walls, with a little square drawer to open the grave. People had placed pictures of their loved ones and flowers on the front of the little door. It’s certainly a way of saving space, but it did feel quite clinical compared to our own green, open graveyards.

Here’s a few pics to give you a feel for the place:

Hope you enjoyed them – especially our grumpy, furry friend up there who posed so nicely!I will be back with a look at a second town for you soon.

Awe! I want to go here too!
This is the first time I heard of the place Peratallada. At first, I thought it was a food.
What a beautiful place and the cat was just adorable.
The graveyard crept me out a little though.